CSPC sppeds up workflow with Windows 7 Professional
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The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) is finding that several new features in Windows 7 are helping to streamline their workflow and improve productivity. The Taskbar pinning and jump lists allow for faster navigation of documents. Federated search enables them to more easily find files across their network. Features like snap views, peek, and shake improve multitasking and navigation of multiple documents.
CSPC sppeds up workflow with Windows 7 Professional
- 1. Windows 7 Customer Solution Case Study Workflow Speeds Up for Government Policy Think Tank CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY AND CONGRESS “Pinning and Jump Lists make it easy to navigate Overview donor spreadsheets to track fund raising activities. Country or Region: United States Industry: Non-profit The most recent documents are right at my finger tips in the task bar. I’m instantly productive.” Customer Profile CSPC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that systematically examines past successes and failures of the Emily Shaftel, Coordinator, Communications and Special Projects, CSPC Presidency and Congress. There are 20 staff and 10 revolving interns with 30 PCs. The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) is Business Situation a non-partisan, 30 staff member Washington, D.C. group that Finding and navigating documents while supporting temporary help are three key thinks strategically about tough policy issues and draws on lessons concerns of CSPC management. of history to help the President and Congress reach informed Solution decisions. In order to prepare its briefing papers and publications, Features in Windows 7 like Taskbar Pinning the Center must manage its own growing databases plus and Jump Lists, the Aero® desktop experience, along with tools for managing thousands of documents and publications by others. District training and enhancing collaboration, are Computers, LLC, recommended that the Center participate as one positively impacting the organization. of the first non-profits in the pre-introduction trials of the new Benefits Windows® 7 operating system. CSPC has discovered a number of Searching Simplified Faster Navigation, Faster Editing new Windows 7 features that streamline workflow through better Collaboration Made Easy navigation and improved search and maintenance tools. Easier Security and Maintenance Monitoring Rapid Training Tool
- 2. Situation Solution The Center for the Study of the Presidency CSPC is finding a number of features in the and Congress (CSPC) is a non-partisan, non- new Windows 7 operating system that are profit organization founded in 1965. The now helping streamline workflow through Center staff and policy experts from better navigation and improved search and government, academia and the research and maintenance tools. public policy communities systematically examine past successes and failures of the HomeGroup Presidency and relate their findings to CSPC users can quickly connect up to five Congressional and Executive Branch leaders. Windows 7 computers with or without a Both the Executive and Legislative Branches server to create a mini version of a are highly compartmentalized, and this often distributed network. Files, information and poses a challenge to strategic thinking, bi- devices such as printers can be shared. partisan action, and the best use of U.S. financial and human resources. In addition, Federated Search the nation remains polarized even though This functionality enables the CSPC team to public opinion polls show a desire to break find virtually any type of file whether located these barriers and face our nation’s real on local drives, network or the Internet. public policy issues. Lessons learned from Searches are deeper and more past American experiences offer insights on comprehensive. how to deal with these challenges. Problem Steps Recorder One of the most pressing business Problem Steps Recorder allows CSPC staff to challenges for CSPC is juggling a myriad of precisely capture and communicate a documents in a more efficient way. As an computer problem. It also enables staff to organization whose major deliverables are document fixes, create tutorials or position papers and policy briefs, a large knowledge-based reference materials for portion of staff time is spent in front of a customers. computer. CSPC constantly accesses a large database located on its server to retrieve and Action Center store information for a variety of publications. Action Center keeps CSPC users informed Efficiently locating the right documents is about PC status without interrupting often a challenge. workflow. It also provides direct links to a large variety of security and maintenance The organization has approximately 20 full- solutions. time staff and 10 interns and an attendant number of PCs. As with any firm that utilizes Aero desktop experience temporary help, training and knowledge The Windows 7 Aero Snap feature allows transfer impacts productivity and workflow to CSPC users side-by-side window viewing by varying degrees. dragging windows to borders, left and right. Grab and shake the foremost screen to make Finding and navigating documents while all other screens disappear. The Peek feature supporting temporary employees are three is invoked by clicking the lower right hand key concerns of CSPC management. Show Desktop rectangle. The desktop is immediately visible to view gadgets and other desktop icons.
- 3. Taskbar recommendations. Consequently, the staff Features like Pinning and Jump Lists, spends a lot of time working on their conveniently accessed from the taskbar, computers. Navigating a variety and volume streamline document navigation. CSPC users of documents becomes a daily task. Windows have their files move readily available. 7 however, provides a number of tools to ease the process. “Pinning and Jump Lists make it easy to navigate donor spreadsheets Benefits to track fund raising activities. The most Searching Simplified recent documents are right at my finger tips CSPC utilizes a very large database of in the Taskbar. I’m instantly productive,” documents, information and resources to noted Shaftel. develop materials and publish policy recommendations. However, finding the right Shaftel continued: “As an editor, I’m often documents in an efficient way doesn’t always comparing two documents side-by-side. The happen. Searching for documents wastes Snap feature makes the comparison set up time and spoils productivity. Windows 7 has a easy and the Peek and Shake functions keep powerful new search tool that helps facilitate unused or unnecessary documents out of my finding. “Federated Search solves complex way.” searches for policy documents located throughout the network as well as simple Collaboration Made Easy searches for the desktop calculator. It’s easy It is quite common for several CSPC staff to use and gives us powerful results,” said members to come together on a joint project. Emily Shaftel, Coordinator for Windows 7 has some features that amplify Communications and Special Projects, Center the team’s efforts. “We’re just starting to for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. experiment with HomeGroup, but it holds great promise for ad hoc teams that get While interns play an important role at CSPC, together on specific projects,” commented most stay only three months or less. One of Ficenec. “It makes collaboration much easier the unintended consequences of their with the simple set up. temporary status is that documents end up tagged with different names and filed in a “Another exciting feature that we expect will myriad of places. Prior to Windows 7 enhance collaboration is Windows 7 operating system, the permanent staff was Libraries,” said Ficenec. “We can deposit left to manage the challenge on their own. links to all of the files we need for a new This is not the case with Windows 7 policy paper in a single Library folder without according to Sarah Ficenec, Director for physically moving the location of the original Policy and Communications, Center for the files. That’s very helpful, especially for a staff Study of the Presidency and with a wide range of computer skills.” Congress. ”Interns are with us about three months and then disappear. That means Easier Security and Maintenance some of our files disappear as well. Monitoring Federated Search allows us to find them Both Ficenec and Shaftel agree they have a again regardless of where they filed.” need to focus on work, not computer fixes. Action Center provides detailed information Faster Navigation, Faster Editing on the status of security and maintenance One of the Center’s primary goals is to issues. “Action Center is a great one-stop analyze and propose policy
- 4. For More Information feature for average computer users. It will Windows 7 For more information about Microsoft allow us to see a dozen different security and Faster and more reliable: Windows 7 will help products and services, call the Microsoft maintenance status monitors all at once,” your organization use information technology Sales Information Center at (800) 426- commented Ficenec. to gain a competitive advantage in today’s 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft new world of work. Your people will be able to Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- Rapid Training Tool be more productive. You will be able to 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of- Problem Steps Recorder is viewed by Shaftel support your mobile work force with better hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone as a great new solution for temporary staff. access to shared data and collaboration (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in “We see Problem Steps Recorder as a tools. And your IT staff will have better tools the United States or (905) 568-9641 in possible training tool solution for interns. In and technologies to enhance corporate IT Canada. Outside the 50 United States and less than five minutes, we can capture the security, data protection, and more efficient Canada, please contact your local sequence for a mail merge and have it as a deployment and management. Microsoft subsidiary. To access information permanent reference tool.” using the World Wide Web, go to: For more information about Windows 7, go to: www.microsoft.com www.microsoft.com/windows/business For more information about Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress products and services, call (202) 872- 9800, or visit the Web site at: www.thePresidency.org For more information about District Computers, LLC products and services, call 202-558-5483, or visit the Web site at: www.districtcomputers.com Software and Services Hardware Products Lenovo − Windows 7 Professional HP − Windows Vista® Business Dell − Windows Vista Ultimate − Microsoft Office® 2007 Professional − Windows Small Business Server 2003 This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published July 2009